On Friday 13th April, the staff at Ratho Surgery will see their last patients on Baird Road, as they gear up to move to the £1.5m new GP surgery on Wilkieston Road which opens to patients on Monday 16th April.
Following the demolition at 14a Wilkieston Road, a new two storey building has been constructed: the ground floor is the new GP surgery, with more consulting rooms and treatment rooms that will benefit local patients and allow the practice to increase its patient list in the future; the upper floor will be available for lease from NHS Lothian in due course.
Ricky Henderson, Chair of the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board, said: “A new GP surgery in the village of Ratho has been on the cards of several years now and we are pleased that local residents will start benefiting from all the hard work NHS Lothian and our partners have put in to making this happen.”
Hazel Dowling, Ratho Practice Manager, said: ““The Team are all looking forward to moving to our new purpose built premises which will allow us to deliver quality medical care in a modern healthcare environment. There is a lot to do over the course of the weekend but we are not expecting any issues. However just in case, we’ll have a duty doctor available to deal will urgent issues on Friday 13th and the morning of Monday 16th and hope to resume normal service by Monday afternoon.
“Whilst the weekend of the move will be a very busy time for the practice, we know that there are many local residentswho are keen to see inside the new facilities, and we have therefore decided to hold an informal open morning on Saturday 14th April between 9.30am and 11.30am to allow patients the opportunity to have a look around the new building.”
NHS Lothian will lease the GP Surgery from the Kiltane Group who have developed this site.
Mark Keane, Managing Director of Kiltane, said: “I am pleased to see Ratho Medical Centre opening the public. We have worked closely with NHS Lothian and Ratho Community Council to deliver a first class medical facility designed to serve the people of Ratho and the surrounding area as it continues to grow and expand into the future.”
Valerie Thrush-Denning, Chair of the Ratho Surgery Patient Participation Group, added: “After working alongside the NHS, local councillors and our MSP for the last two and a half years The Ratho Surgery Patient Participation Group are delighted with the outcome of the new Surgery. It is all that we wished for.
“Going forward, we are pleased to be working closely with the new management for the benefit of the patients of Ratho.”
As part of the move the Ratho Surgery contact number will be changing to 0131 333 0600. For more information on Ratho Surgery visit www.rathomedicalpractice.scot.nhs.uk